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Josh Kingston
Joshua Everett "Josh" Kingston (born 13 September 1997) is a British-Canadian singer, songwriter, radio host, and executive producer. He was born in Vancouver, British Columbia and raised in Toronto, Ontario and New York, New York. At the age of twelve, he became involved in music. In 2011, he signed a recording contract with an independent record label however the agreement became void following the record label's file for bankruptcy. In July 2011, Kingston signed a recording contract with Banana Music. His debut album'' Symphony'' was released in November 2011, containing strong pop rock influences and spawning four singles. The album generated moderate commercial and critical success. His second album[[ In January| In January]] was released in April 2012; consisting of major alternative rock and baroque pop influences. In January became the most commercially and critically successful album released by Banana Music, and the album was re-released three times; spawning a total of nine singles. His third album Up in Flames was released in June 2013; consisting predominantly of funk rock and R&B genres. The album was critically successful and spawned six singles. Kingston's first extended play, Carols was released in November 2013, while his fourth album is due to be released in 2014. Kingston has won two SMA Music Awards, and Banana Music dubbed him their Artist of the Year of both 2012 and 2013. To date, he has guest-hosted Banana Recordz Countdown three times and he was a judge on the singing competition series Talent. As of November 2013, five of Kingston's singles have been certified Platinum and one single has been certified Diamond by the Banana Music Certification System, making Kingston the only Banana Music artist in history to receive a Diamond certification. His entire discography has been given a Ruby certification, making him the best-selling Banana Music artist of all-time. Life and music projects '1997–2010: Early life and relocating' Kingston was born in the University Endowment Lands; an area directly adjacent to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada to parents Jacob and Anna Kingston. He has five brothers and three sisters. Before entering his singing hobby, he participated in several swimming, soccer, basketball, and football teams. In 2007, he was dubbed "Future Football Star" in his local newspaper. He also participated in several independent plays, musicals, and short films. In January 2008, at the age of 10, he moved with his family to the Kensington Market area of Toronto, Ontario. Following his father's loss of a job, his family relocated to Brooklyn, New York City in September 2009. Around this time, he began playing piano and singing. In late 2010, he began taping cover videos; intended to be for his family and friends. '2011: ''Symphony ''Main articles: Symphony and Banana Recordz Countdown'' Following encouragement from friends and family, Kingston posted a video of himself singing "Sink or Swim" by Tyrone Wells onto his YouTube account in January 2011. Over the next few months, Kingston met with several independent New York-based record labels, however these labels ultimately declined to sign Kingston due to his young age. In May, a local counterpart of an economically-troubled label called Bysa Records offered to transport Kingston to Boston to meet with producers and other label executives, however Bysa withdrew from this agreement the following month, citing his young age, inexperience, and their own financial issues. Kingston continued to record covers throughout June, when he came across several online record labels that mostly handled cover artists. Looking for a label that would professionally and realistically release his covers, he came across Banana Recordz. He submitted his "Sink or Swim" cover video to the label, and he signed a recording contract for one album cycle on 4 July. He agreed to a two-year publishing agreement through Banana Music Publishing the following day and immediately began recording the album in Guardings Studio, an independent studio located a few blocks away from his home. Already having several recorded covers, and looking to quickly release his covers, Kingston's debut single "Bend or Break" was released on 20 July. The song was independently written and produced by Kingston, who drew inspiration from "Sink or Swim" for the song. "Bend or Break" would ultimately go on to be nominated for Best Original Song in the 2012 SMA Music Awards. Following the release of this single, he released "To Build A Home" as his second single in August. In September, he collaborated with fellow Banana Recordz artist Carly on the single "Love You Like A Love Song", which was nominated for Best Collaboration in the 2012 SMA Music Awards and became the first song in Banana Music history to be certified Platinum by the Banana Music Certification System. His fourth single "Marchin' On" was released in October as the final single from his first album. Symphony, his debut album, was released on 9 November. The album contained 7 songs, and its release had been delayed by about two weeks. Upon release, Symphony received mixed reviews, and its commercial success was lukewarm. Despite this, Banana Recordz considered Kingston to have further potential, and his contract with the label was renewed for one additional album cycle in December. On 11 November, the Top 5 audio podcast Banana Recordz Countdown premiered with Kingston serving as its host, however the podcast was immediately put on hiatus. As of November 2013, Symphony has been certified Platinum x2 by the Banana Music Certification System. '''2011–12: ''In January ''Main article: In January '' Following the renewal of his contract, Josh opted to release his second album in Spring 2012. He began primary recording for this album on 8 December 2011. He stated later that month that his second album would be more "mellow" than ''Symphony, and that he was hoping to put more time and effort into the album than he did with his debut effort. Banana stated that the album would be "more rock-influenced". In late December, Kingston signed a tentative agreement with Bysa Records to record a professional studio album in Boston in summer 2012, however Bysa filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in early 2012. Kingston subsequently moved to their sister label Polyequidor Music. During negotiations with Bysa, Kingston continued operating under Banana; fearing that negotiations with Bysa would be unsuccessful. When it became apparent that Bysa's financial issues would cause the agreement to be invalidated, Kingston launched Indigo Records on 1 January 2012. Indigo is licensed as a subsidiary of Banana Music, however is wholly-operated and owned by Kingston. Kingston signed a 2-year deal with Banana Music, that gave Banana exclusive distribution rights for all Indigo Records content through January 2014. On 13 January, Kingston announced that his second album, In January, would be released on 2 May. Kingston had initially contemplated naming the album Home. The lead single from the album, "Stronger" was released on 14 February, followed by its second single "Chasing Cars", which was released on 30 March and became Kingston's second single to become certified Platinum by the Banana Music Certification System. In January was released on 20 April by Banana; two weeks earlier than initially planned after a deal with Polyequidor was not finalized. The album contained 12 tracks along with 3 bonus tracks. Upon release, In January received generally mixed reviews; with critics complimenting Kingston's "slightly improved" vocal talent, however feeling that the genres and influences on the album were "confusing". Despite this, the album performed well commercially, and as a result, a deluxe edition was commissioned. On 1 June, a new song entitled "Wide Awake" was released as the lead single from the album's deluxe edition. "Set Fire to the Rain" was released as the third single from In January and the fourth overall single from the In January era on 20 June. The album's deluxe edition, entitled'' In January: Four Seasons'', was released on 26 June and contained 6 new songs. In July, Kingston released a stand-alone single entitled "Eyes Open", which won an SMA Music Award for Best Original Song and became Kingston's third song to be certified Platinum by the Banana Music Certification System. "Part of Me" was released as Four Seasons' second and final single on 27 August. On 17 September, a new song entitled "I Won't Give Up" was released as the lead single from'' In January: The Complete Collection''; the final re-release/deluxe edition of In January. "I Won't Give Up" went on to be certified Diamond by the Banana Music Certification System, making it the only song in Banana Music history to do so. On 11 October, "In January" was released as the fourth and final single from the standard edition of In January. "Fix You" was released on 10 November as the second and final single from The Complete Collection, and as the ninth and final overall single from the'' In January'' era. "Fix You" has since been certified Platinum. The Complete Collection was released on 11 November. A week later, Kingston formally ended the In January ''era by stating: "R.I.P. ''In January. The new era starts now". Later that month, Kingston served as a judge during the first season of the singing competition Talent. Following the end of the first season, Talent was cancelled. As of November 2013, In January has been certified Platinum, Four Seasons has been certified Gold x2, and The Complete Collection has been certified Diamond by the Banana Music Certification System. Collection is the only album in Banana Music history to receive a Diamond certification. '2012–13: ''Up in Flames ''and ''Carols Main articles: Up in Flames and Carols In March 2012, Kingston confirmed that he would create a third album. He began writing original music later that month. Recording for his third album had been planned to begin in September, however he delayed recording in order to promote his compilation album, In January: The Complete Collection. In January 2013, Kingston was awarded the 2012 Banana Music Artist of the Year Award. Recording for his third album began on 1 January and he spent the majority of the next two months recording the album and planning out the release strategy for the album. In February, Banana Recordz Countdown returned, however Kingston did not return as the podcast's host. Also in February, Kingston renewed his recording contract with Banana for an additional album cycle, securing an agreement for Banana Music to release his third album and all re-releases. His contract with Banana Recordz was terminated as he opted to release his third album through Indigo - a subsidiary of Banana Music Group. In a highly promoted and anticipated press release on 3 March 2013, Kingston announced that his third album, Up in Flames, would be released in June, and he released the album's lead single "Charlie Brown", which became his fifth single to be certified Platinum by the Banana Music Certification System. On 8 April, Kingston guest-hosted Banana Recordz Countdown, where he announced that Up in Flames would be released on 23 June. The album was available for a limited engagement two-day pre-order that began on 15 April and ended on 17 April. The album's second official single "Madness" was released on 19 April. On 1 June, Banana Music announced that the album's release had been moved to 28 June. The album's third single "Get Lucky" was released on 6 June as the final pre-album release single, while "Treasure" was released for online streaming a day prior to the album's release. '' '' Kingston's third album'' Up in Flames'' was released on 28 June 2013. The album's final track listing emitted all pop and pop rock songs in favour of an alternative funk rock sound. The album received mostly positive reviews from critics, who praised Kingston's improved vocal. Kingston's publishing agreement with Banana Music Publishing expired on 5 July and was briefly operated on a temporary extension. On 18 July, Kingston signed a publishing deal with Blue Publishing. The fourth single from Up in Flames, "Strawberry Swing" was released on 21 July, while "Talk" was released on 30 September as the fifth single. As of November 2013, Up in Flames has been certified Gold by the Banana Music Certification System. Kingston's contract with Blue Publishing was declared invalid on 8 October and Kingston signed an 8-month deal with Breeze Publishers, who will handle negotiations for his future publication, promotional, contractual, and endorsement deals. In October 2013, Kingston recorded a Christmas extended play entitled Carols, which was released on 29 November. "Baby, It's Cold Outside" was released on 12 November as the lead single. On 18 November, it was announced that Kingston's discography had been certified Ruby by the Banana Music Certification System, making him the best-selling Banana Music artist of all time. Later that month, Kingston was hired as an executive producer of Banana Recordz Countdown. On 1 December, it was announced that Kingston had been named the Banana Music Artist of the Year of 2013. "Bad Religion" was released on 7 December as the sixth and final single from the Up in Flames ''era. The following day, Kingston tweeted "With this tweet, I officially close the ''Up in Flames era. Once again, thank you" and his Twitter account's icon, background, and header turned black in order to officially commemorate the end of the album cycle. '''2013–present: Fourth album Kingston announced in June 2013 that he intended to record a fourth album, which he stated would contain mostly original music. In September, he began pitching the album's sound and tone to Banana Music in order to secure a recording contract renewal. He began writing for the album in October. On 5 December, Banana Music Group announced that Kingston had secured a new recording contract which will go into effect in February 2014. Recording for the album will begin in mid-December. Other work ''Dark Theater In April 2012, Banana Music and Banana Television announced a joint venture entitled Spark, which would be a YouTube channel dedicated to stories. Spark announced an October 2012 launch, with a horror anthology podcast entitled ''Dark Theater, voiced by Kingston, planned to be Spark's first program. However, the project was later put on hold in order to give Spark a proper launch. Kingston stated in March 2013 that he had been writing anthologies to include in Dark Theater ''for nearly a year, estimating that he had about five stories finished, and that he would begin recording the podcast once he was finished ''Up in Flames. He stated he was working closely with television producer and friend Matthew LaVernon to decide the style of the podcast. Recording for the first season of the podcast took place in Provincetown, Massachussetts from 27 July to 19 August 2013. On 27 September 2013, it was announced that Dark Theater would premiere in early 2014. ''In the Know Banana Audio, a subsidiary of Banana Music Group, was launched on 17 June 2013. Upon its launch, it was announced that Josh Kingston was attatched to host a documentary audio series entitled In the Know'' that would focus on a new topic each episode. In November 2013, Kingston stated that the first season had been recorded in July and that he was unsure of its status. ''Talent In July 2012, it was announced that Kingston would serve as a judge on the singing competition show ''Talent. The program premiered on 11 November 2012 and ran for three episodes; concluding on 2 December 2012. Following the end of the first season, Kingston said on Twitter that he would not return to the program for a second season as he wanted to focus on his music. In January 2013, it was announced that Talent would not be renewed for a second season. Artistry and personal life Influences and voice Kingston has consistently referred to as English rock band Coldplay and American rock band OneRepublic as his main influences, and has cited alternative rock as his favourite and most influential music genre. He named his third album Up in Flames which is a song on Coldplay's album Mylo Xyloto (2011). He has stated that Canadian band Marianas Trench is his main influence to include the pop rock and indie genre in his albums. More recently, he has listed Bruno Mars, Florence + the Machine, The Neighbourhood, Lana Del Rey, The Maine, Frank Ocean, Rihanna, Kelly Clarkson, The Weeknd, Katy Perry, and Drake as influences. Kingston's albums consistently have major alternative rock, pop rock, indie rock, indie pop, and pop influences, however many of his songs utilize genres such as R&B and neo-soul. In 2011 and 2012, Kingston's vocal ability was criticized for being "underwhelming", however in more recent times Kingston has largely been praised for his improved lower vocal register ability and his unique talent to create low-to-high riffs. 'Religion and health' Kingston is atheist. He has stated most of his family members are Christian but lack major religious beliefs, and that he has never attended or "even been inside of" a church or any other religious establishment. Kingston was formally a vegetarian, however now eats meat due to chronic low blood pressure. Due to his hypotension, Kingston often faints and he takes medication for this. 'Citizenship and relocating' Kingston retains dual British-Canadian citizenship. Kingston was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada to a Canadian mother and British father; making him Canadian through birth and British through right of blood. He moved from Vancouver to the Kensington Market area of Toronto in 2008. In 2009, he moved from Toronto to Brooklyn, New York City; however none of his family members applied for American citizenship. In October 2013, he moved to Manhattan. Discography 'Studio albums' *''Symphony'' (2011) *''In January'' (2012) *''Up in Flames'' (2013) 'Compilation albums and re-releases' *''In January: Four Seasons'' (2012) *''In January: Download Release '– SendSpace Exclusive'' (2012) *''In January: The Complete Collection'' (2012) *''Up in Flames: Deluxe Edition (2014) 'Extended plays *''Carols'' (2013) 'Live broadcasts' *''The Stronger Premiere (3 February 2012) *''The Chasing Cars Premiere (13 March 2012) *''In January'' Live (2 June 2012) *''Four Seasons Live (27 June 2012) *''The Charlie Brown Premiere (3 March 2013) 'Singles' Main article: List of singles released by Josh Kingston 'Awards and nominations'